Apartment buildings and the like

ABSTRACT

THIS PATENT DISCLOSES AN APARTMENT BUILDING THAT CAN BE ERECTED AS RAPIDLY AS THERE CAN BE ERECTED ITS CENTRAL CORE WHICH, AS HEREIN TAUGHT, COMPRISES PRECAST MEMBERS OF CONCRETE, PREFERABLY BUT NOT NECESSARILY REINFORCED WITH STEEL BARS, COMPRISING A STAIRCASE MADE IN TWO PIECES SUCH THAT THE PIECES MAY BE READILY EXTRACTED FROM THE MOLDS IN WHICH THEY ARE CAST. THE CENTRAL CORE FURTHER COMPRISES ELEVATOR-SHAFT SPACE. THE BUILDING IS SUPPORTED BY INTERNAL SEGMENTS, EACH OF PRECAST CONCRETE, PREFERABLY BUT NOT NECESSARILY INTERNALLY REINFORCED WITH STEEL BARS, WITH THE SEGMENTS BEING OF SUCH SHAPE THAT ONE MAY READILY BE SECURELY JOINED TO ANOTHER OF SIMILAR SHAPE AND IMMEDIATELY ABOVE IT, THE SEGMENTS HAVING AN ANGULAR SHAPE, SO THAT IN A FREE-STANDING STRUCTURE THERE IS OBTAINED SUPERIOR RESISTANCE TO SHEAR STRESSES, THE EXPENSE OF ORDINARILY INCIDENT TO THE SECURING IN PLACE OF INTERNAL SEGMENTS, AS BY RIVETING, BOLTING, GROUTING OR THE LIKE ALL BEING AVOIDED.

March 1971 J. v. FISHER APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE 3. Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Oct. 5, 1969 INVEN TOR. JOSEPH l. FISHER forneys March 2 1971 J,v, F|$HER 3,566,558

APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 5, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet F Ir15 5- J11 \I L l 4: 76 GBCLQ 60 21 E E 87 66' WW 1,70 .nfj .JL. W m s2s4 64 V as Altar/rays March 2, 1971 J. v. FISHER APARTMENT BUILDINGS ANDTHE LIKE I 3 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed on. s, 1969 INVEN TOR.

JOSEPH l FISHER BY ay vm A Harneys United States Patent Office 3,566,558Patented Mar. 2, 1971 3,566,558 APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND THE LIKE JosephV. Fisher, Ridge Road, RD. 1, Valencia, Pa. 16059 Filed Oct. 3, 1968,Ser. No. 764,822. Int. Cl. E04b 1/34; E04c 1/10; E04f 11/14 US. Cl. 5273ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This patent discloses an apartment buildingthat can be erected as rapidly as there can be erected its central core,which, as herein taught, comprises precast members of concrete,preferably but not necessarily reinforced with steel bars, comprising astraircase made in two pieces, such that the pieces may be readilyextracted from the molds in which they are cast. The central corefurther comprises elevator-shaft space. The building is supported byinternal segments, each of precast concrete, preferably but notnecessarily internally reinforced wtih steel bars, with the segmentsbeing of such shape that one may readily be securely joined to anotherof similar shape and immediately above it, the segments having anangular shape, so that in a free-standing structure there is obtainedsuperior resistance to shear stresses, the expense of ordinarilyincident to the securing in place of internal segments, as by riveting,bolting, grouting or the like all being avoided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention This inventionrelates to apartment buildings and the like.

(2) Description of the prior art It is known to construct buildingssupported by interior segment of load-bearing masonry, the buildinghaving a non-load-bearing exterior shell. For the most part, theinterior segments of load-bearing wall that have been used have beenstraight, and substantially perpendicular to the segments ofload-bearing wall, there have been used a necessary number of shearwalls. The interior segments of load-bearing wall have been riveted,bolted, welded or grouted into place, and though construction of thiskind has been shown, in experience in foreign countries, to be generallyless expensive than conventional construction based upon either theexterior load-bearing walls or the use of an internal framework ofstructural steel, it is nevertheless true that in connection withstructures of this kind, the use of a considerable quantity of skilledlabor in the erection has been unavoidable. Yet another factormilitating against the use of construction based upon interior segmentsof load-bearing masonry or the like has been the delay caused by theneed to provide a central core in the building comprising elevatorshafts and stairways.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, there isprovided a building having interior load-bearing walls and anon-load-bearing exterior shell, with the interior load-bearing wallsbeing constructed of precast members that are angular in plan crosssection and have in the vicinity of their tops and bottoms means forjoining them to other parts of similar shape. Such a building isespecially inexpensive to construct, considering that it withstands theshear stresses from wind or earthquake well, without need for theexpense ordinarily incident to securing in place internal load-bearingsegments by such methods as riveting, bolting or grouting. Moreparticularly, the parts or panels mentioned above have a heightsubstantially equal to that 3 Claims of one story of the building andare preferably L-shaped in plan cross section, with a tongue in thevicinity of the top edge and a groov. in the vicinity of the bottomedge. Openings are provided running crosswise of the tongues andgrooves, such that when such parts are placed one atop another, theopenings register with one another to permit the passage of securingmeans, such as pins, therethrough, affording a strong structure with aminimum of labor and expense. In accordance with yet another feature,the time required for the erection of such a building is furthershortened by using parts as described above to provide a central corefurnishing the means for vertical transportation internally of thebuilding, such as a stairway and/or one or more elevators. Theabovementioned parts or panels also preferably contain pockets orrecesses, which may serve to support lintels or the like running fromone to another of such parts or panels. In accordance with yet anotherpreferred embodiment of the invention, such pocketed parts or panels areused, in constructing a central core for vertical transportation, so asto support a stairway, with the stairway being made of a pair of membersof precast building material, each of the members having a major portioncomprising treads and risers and an end portion adapted to provide alanding, and more particularly, a stairway in which each of said membershas a landing portion at each end thereof. Such stairway members areeasily stripped from the mounts on which they are formed and areconveniently handled thereafter. If used, handrails are cast integrallywith the stairway members mentioned above.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A complete understanding of theinvention may be had from the foregoing and following description andexplanation thereof, taken together with the appended drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a part in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is a partial assembly view, showing one step in the assembly ofthe part of FIG. 1 with other parts to construct a building inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 3 is a second partial assembly view, showing a further step in theassembly of one part of FIG. 1 with a similar part and other parts toconstruct a building in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of a fioor plan of a buildingconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the buildinghaving interior load-bearing wall segments and an exteriornon-load-bearing shell, with there being used for the interiorload-bearing wall segments a structure according to FIG. 3 using partssuch as are shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of a typical floor plan for asimilar building, but using basic parts of alternate shape and providinga central core for vertical transportation;

FIG. 6 is a detail sectional elevation view taken on the line VI-VI ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an alternate form of staircase member,for use in place of that of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view, partly schematic, of a balcony lintel member foruse in the practice of a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view taken on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8, being a sectionalelevation of the balcony lintel member of FIG. 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, there is shown apart 2 in accordance with the present invention. The part 2 is generallyL-shaped in plan cross section, having legs 4 and 6, which may be,

for example, about five feet long. In the bottom edges 8 and 10 of thelegs 4 and 6, respectively, there are provided grooves 12 and 14. Alongthe top edges 16 and 18 of the legs 4, 6, respectively, there areprovided tongues 20 and 22, which have such shape and dimensions as tofit snugly into grooves of the same size and shape as the grooves 12 and14. Passing crosswise of the grooves 12 and 14 and completely throughthe legs 4 and 6, there are openings 24, and in corresponding locations,there are openings that pass through the tongues 20 and 22.

The part 2 may be of any suitable height, but for most purposes, it willbe convenient to provide a part 2 having a height substantially equal tothat of a single story of a building to be constructed with its use.Thus, the part 2 will in most instances have an overall height on theorder of eight or twelve feet.

The legs 4 and 6 also have, near their top edges 16 and 18,respectively, and in the vicinity of the ends of the legs 4 and 6,recessed portions 26 and 28, respectively. These extend downwardly fromthe upper edges 16 and 18 by a suitable distance such as about one foot,for a purpose that will be well understood from an examination of FIG.2.

In FIG. 2, there is shown a part 2, upon which has been laid certainadditional members, of which only fragments are shown, this view servingto illustrate how the part 2 is utilized with such other members in theconstruction of a building of the kind supported by interior segments ofload-bearing wall and having a non-loadbearing exterior shell. In therecessed portion 26, there is set a lintel 30, which may be ofrectangular cross section and have dimensions of, for example, abouttwelve inches square. Although any suitable building material may beused, satisfactory results are obtained if the lintel 30 is made ofprestressed concrete. In the recessed portion 28 at the leg 6, andextending in the direction of the leg, there is placed another lintel'32, which may be of the same general size as the lintel 30. If desired,the lintel 32 may be provided with a tongue 34 corresponding inthickness to the tongue 22, to aid in alignment thereof. Lintels areused in the structure as and where needed to provide support forflooring plank members, as hereinafter disclosed, or for other purposes.An alternative form of lintel, useful for forming a balcony, veranda, orthe like, will be discussed in greater detail hereinbelow.

From FIG. 1, it will be seen that the tongues 20' and 22 are setcentrally of the upper edges 16 and 18, and this is done in order thatthe edges 16 and 18 may serve as bearing surfaces for a plank member 36,which may be of prestressed concrete about one foot thick by four feetwide by any suitable length, such as about ten feet.

In FIG. 3, it is shown how one part 2 may have set atop it a second part38 of the same size and shape, after the part has had placed upon it thelintels 30, 32 and the plank 36, as described above. The part 38 hasopenings passing through its groove '42, and those openings 40 registerwith the openings 25 in the tongues 20 and 22 of the part 2, so thatfastening members may be placed therethrough.

In FIG. 4, there is shown a floor plan of a typical floor of a buildingconstructed with interior load-bearing walls and a non-load-bearingexterior shell, using for the loadbearing walls a structure according toFIG. 3 of parts such as shown in FIG. 1. The building has a number ofsegments of load-bearing wall, each L-shaped in plan cross section andmade of parts such as the part 2 described above. The building has,moreover, a number of lintels 52 adjoining the segments 50. The lintels52 are of substantial length, such as about twenty or forty feet. FIG. 4also indicates how planks 54 are laid to extend between one lintel andanother. There is thus obtained a building of generally octagonal shape,having a nonload-bearing exterior shell 56.

It is not essential that, in plan cross section, a part 2 appeargenerally L-shaped. Those skilled in the art will appreciate how similarmembers can be made and used that are, in plan cross section, shapedlike a T, X or H. Still other configurations will possibly suggestthemselves to those skilled in the art, consonant with the requirementthat the part have at least one pair of legs substantially at rightangles to each other, i.e., so that the part is angular in plan crosssection, in order that a structure made of such parts may impart to thebuilding superior resistance to shear stresses, such as are caused bywind or earthquake.

Referring now to FIG. 5, with shows a schematic typical floor plan for asimilar building, but one providing for a central core for verticaltransportation and using parts of alternate shape, as indicated above,this provides a building having exterior shell members 60 that joinparts 62, generally similar to the parts 2, with either another similarpart 62 or with a structural part 64 having, in plan cross section, theshape of a cross. In order to provide a central core 66 for verticaltransportation within the building, members 68 and 70 cooperate with themembers 64 by resting on a lintel running therebetween. The member 68comprising a landing 72 and a second landing 74, with there extendingtherebetween a set of stairs 76. The member 70 similarly comprises alanding 78 and a downwardly extending set of stairs 80, leading to alower-floor landing area 82, It will be apparent to those skilled in theart how suitable walls between the parts 64 and the doors therein may beprovided on the various levels of the building. It will also be apparenthow the central core 66 can be made so that it comprises not onlystairway members such as the members 68 and 70 but also elevator shafts.

FIG. 5 also shows how there may be provided, between load-bearingmembers 83, 85, each of which is of the same construction as the members62, a lintel member 87 that serves not only to provide a balcony,veranda or the like but also, if needed, as support for plank members(not shown) running between it and a lintel connecting the two members64 that lie nearest to the members 83, 85. Further details appear belowin connection with the description of FIGS. 8 and 9.

Referring now to FIG. 6, there are shown further details of the member68, including stanchions 84 and 86 integral with the member 68 andhaving extending therebetween a handrail member 88, similarly integralwith the member 68. As can be seen in this figure, the stairway 76comprises a number of treads 90 and a number of risers 92.

In FIG. 7, there is shown an alternate form of stairway member, for usein place of that of FIG. 6. In common with the member 68, the member 94has upper and lower landings 96 and 98, respectively, and a set ofstairs 100 therebetween. In place of the stanchions 84 and 86 andhandrail member 88, there is provided, integral with the member 94, anupstanding portion 102 that serves as a handrail. This structure is lessfragile than that of FIG. 6, and the molds for producing it are lesscomplicated and accordingly less costly.

The above-mentioned balcony lintel member 87 is shown in greater detailin FIGS. 8-9. It comprises a portion 104 of substantial horizontalextent, the exterior portion 106 of which is preferably but notnecessarily somewhat narrower, as at 108, than the remainder thereof, toreduce somewhat the bending moment that, because of the cantileverpositioning of the lintel, tends to tip its exterior end downwardly. Atits interior end, the member 87 has a downwardly extending portion 110that fits into the pockets 26 of the members 83 and 85, and the portion110 has a recess 112, seen in FIG. 9, that receives the plank members114, which correspond to the plank members 36. The member 87 ispreferably provided in the vicinity of its exterior edges with a precastrailing member 116, which may be of concrete and have a metal insert 118cast therein, with a metal bracket or hook 120 welded thereto. Ifdesired, a rail of metal or the like may be used in place of the insert118. This engages a channelshaped member 122 that overlies a noseportion 124 cast in the exterior end of the member 87 and may be joinedto the member 122 in any suitable way, such as by Welding. Grouting 126completes the joint. Structure such as that described above for joiningthe rail member 116 to the lintel 87 may be provided all along theperiphery of the balcony lintel 87 or, preferably, only at selectedlocations spaced therealong. Other satisfactory means for joining thetwo members will also suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

The member 87 is preferably internally reinforced, as with steel bars.Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exact pattern for theplacement of the reinforcing bars is not critical, but the pattern mayadvantageously include a number of bars running parallel to the exterioredge, these being more closely spaced toward the middle of the member 87and somewhat more sparsely near the interior and exterior edges, and asecond set of bars running crosswise of the first set and also embeddedin the concrete, but somewhat nearer to the upper surface thereof, theselatter bars being spaced more closely near the lateral edges of themember 87 and somewhat more sparsely near its center. The member 87 isalso preferably provided with drain means (not shown), or it may be setat a slight angle to the horizontal to cause water falling thereon toflow as desired.

In multiple-story masonry buildings, it is usual for a lintel to bepositioned so as to span an opening leading to a balcony, with thebalcony floor being cast into place and supported upon two lintels, theabove-mentioned one and a second one outboard of it and generallyparallel thereto. In accordance with engineering practices known priorto this invention, the use of both lintels was thought necessary, butthe teachings of the present invention demonstrate that such is not thecase. The structure of the present invention is simple, provides a goodappearance, and yields a saving in cost.

While I have shown and described herein certain embodiments of myinvention, I intend to cover as well any change or modification thereinwhich may be made without departing from its spirit and scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A building having a non-load-bearing exterior shell and a pluralityof vertically-extending load-bearing interior segments, said segmentseach being in the form of a plurality of vertically superimposed partseach of which is angular in cross section and whose cross section is inalignment with the cross section the part above and below it, a grooveformed in the bottom of each part, a tongue projecting upwardly from thetop of each part and fitted into the groove of a part above it, saidtongues having longer lengths than the depths of said grooves to providerecesses in the sides of said segments when the parts are superimposedone above the other with a tongue in a groove, horizontally-extendinglintel members having their opposite ends fitted into the recesses ofspaced segments of said building, flooring planks resting on saidlintels, openings in said tongues and in the walls of said grooves andextending transversely thereof, and securing means extending throughsaid openings.

2. A building as defined in claim 1, characterized in that said buildingfurther comprises at least one balcony lintel member set in recessesbetween adjacent ones of said parts.

3. A building as defined in claim 1, further characterized in that aplurality of said vertically-extending segments define a central corefor providing means for vertical transportation internally of saidbuilding.

40 FRANK L. ABBOIT, Primary Examiner S. D. BURKE, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R.

